Immigrants' Genes: Genetic Diversity and Economics Development in the US

Philipp Ager and Markus Brueckner
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Markus Brueckner

No 10, CEH Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic History, Research School of Economics, Australian National University

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between immigrants’ genetic diversity and economic development in the United States during the late 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, a period commonly referred to as the age of mass migration from Europe to the New World. Our panel model estimates show that during this period, immigrants’ genetic diversity is significantly positively correlated with measures of US counties’ economic development. There exists also a significant positive relationship between immigrants’ genetic diversity in 1870 and contemporaneous measures of US counties’ average income. Our findings demonstrate that a significant relationship between genetic diversity and economic growth does not imply that economic development outcomes are deterministic. Episodes of mass immigration, as experienced in the United States during the 19th century, can significantly change the genetic diversity of countries; and by doing so, they affect countries’ development path.

Keywords: Economic Growth; Genetic Diversity; Immigration; Melting Pot (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 O51 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-mig and nep-ure
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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https://cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/CEH/WP201710.pdf

Related works:
Working Paper: Immigrants' Genes: Genetic Diversity and Economic Development in the US (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:auu:hpaper:061

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